PASS THE GREENS PLEASE, GREENHOUSE GASSES THAT IS!

A carbon footprint is the amount of greenhouse gases that are produced to support everyday human activities such as transportation, energy consumption and the production of food and goods to be consumed.  Carbon footprints are expressed in tons of CO2 in which are emitted into the atmosphere.

To find out how much my household and my fathers household (he lives on Maui with my brothers) I went to Nature Conservancy website. Here I was asked a serious of questions ranging from our driving habits, preferences in food and even recycling habits. My results were astounding.

For my apartment in Kalamazoo which houses my three roommate’s and I our total greenhouse gas emissions are 120 tons of carbon dioxide per year. WOW! This serves to be greater than that of the U.S national average by 10 tons and more than five times the world average. Ways in which would have helped in reducing my households carbon footprint would have been choosing to recycle, walking to class or riding the bus, and convincing my roommate’s that an organic vegetarian lifestyle is better( as I buy almost all organic and was raised vegetarian). These small changes would have reduced our carbon footprint by an estimated 35 tons per year. I found this to be quite shocking, because I never knew that such small changes in our daily routine could have such an impact on our earth.

Our Carbon Footprint Without Cutbacks :(

 For the second household in my study was my fathers house in Maui, Hawaii. Here he lives with his wife and my three younger brothers. Due to his increased awareness for the environment this household is much lower than that of the national average by almost 40 tons per year. I believe this households carbon footprint is lower because my dad is the head of a vegetarian,bike-riding, compost loving, tree hugging lifestyle.My father is an avid flyer who takes on average 15 to 20 long trips every year for his job(owns an investment firm). 

HIppies Rule- Peace Love and Happiness!

After comparing the two household I thought it would be interesting to look at that of the carbon emitted by each country to as to which was contributing most and which one the least. My expectation was that the United States and China would take the lead in the most CO2 emissions. I was shocked to see that although my expectations for the U.S was correct, China is in fact in a much better global position. It is scary to think that if all other countries lived like the United States we would need over five earths to sustain our practices!

Wouldn’t mind taking him out for Ice Cream! Hellooooo Dr. Cameron

Not only is James Cameron the filmmaker behind movies like “Avatar” and “Titanic,” but he is also an underwater pioneer. Recently Mr. Cameron made history when he descended 7 miles below sea level in a submersible of his own design.

I found this video very interesting :) 

Let's Get NARC'ed!

                 Today, I thought I would share one of my most interesting diving experiences. It was on my first dive on the Spiegel Grove in Key Largo, Florida where I first experienced Nitrogen Narcoses. Nitrogen narcosis is a diving "phenomenon" that usually happens when divers go beyond four atmospheres ( on land we are at one atmosphere, each additional atmosphere is 33 feet) or 100 feet. Also known as "the martini effect," nitrogen narcosis increases the pressure of nitrogen and thus creates a feeling much like that of being drunk. Although this condition is seen as a life threatening event, it is easily corrected by a careful and controlled accent of one to two atmospheres or the avoidance of deep diving all together.

               I imagine this is what i looked like :p
                Spiegel grove, which was once a dock landing ship, was purposely sunk as an artificial reef in 2002. Lying at 140 feet, this wreck is insane! While on my initial decent i was stoked, the anticipation of of being able to dive one of worlds largest wrecks was mind-blowing. As i began to see bottom, my excitement amplified, and I started to feel a feeling of euphoria.  While trailing behind my dive group, i motioned to my dive buddy Mike, that something wasn't right. Sensing my euphoric state, he smiled and  held out his hand and for us to continue the dive together. Imagine being at a depth of five atmospheres, with thousands of fish around you, on a 600 foot wreck as countless sharks and barracuda swim slowly around you, while you feel DRUNK! Everything about this dive was incredible, but as i descended further into the holding tanks(a depth of 130) I could not contain my excitement so i began to laugh. Laughing uncontrollably is hard to do with a regulator and periodically it was forced out of my mouth. At this point it was time to ascend, and as i began my journey upward i looked back at my dive with pride. I had just experienced being NARC'ed and as i climbed back onto the boat I looked down into the water and thought "God i'm cool." 

Eaarth

Holy Sea cucumber! I just finished the first two chapters of Bill McKibben’s Eaarth and let me tell you, I feel nauseated.  McKibben discusses how we, mankind has basically buried ourselves in the attempts for economic prosperity and growth. He sheds light on how current climate changes due to increased CO2 emissions have in turn greatly affected our planet and that if we as a society refuse to acknowledge these problems we will forever be faced with hardships and suffering. 

As the main focus of my blog is centered on the world ocean, I felt it only right to explore further the affects of what McKibben so ferociously seeks to change.

The melting of the northern polar ice cap is just one case as to why there has been a sharp rise in sea levels throughout the world. The increase of Greenhouse gasses is causing an increase in atmospheric temperature, which in turn is causing polar ice caps to melt. Apart from the obvious affect of habitat loss for polar bears, seals and many other animals the affects of rising sea levels are far more complex. Take mangroves for example. Mangroves are different kinds of trees that grow in shallow waters. They serve as a critical habitat to numerous species and greatly deplete if they are not able to move into shallower waters. Such an ecosystem is then unable to keep up with the rising sea levels and is in turn destroyed in the process.  

It’s getting hot in here! Just as sea level affects shallow water ecosystems, increases in water temperatures cause a reduction of CO2 absorption.  Here’s a crazy fact that I remembered was on one of my dive master exams. Today, our ocean has absorbed more than 80% of the heat that has been added to the earth by changes in climate. Think about that, its insane! This change, which has led to warmer waters, has caused two major problems within the underwater world (within the realm of changes in climate). The first is coral bleaching. Coral bleaching occurs when small algae leave coral beds in response to higher temperatures. Algae make up almost an entire reefs diet, and also give coral its vibrant colors. However when algae is no longer present coral reefs become stressed, thus leading to a bleached look.  From 1998 to 2002 the Great Barrier Reef and other reefs around the world experienced catastrophic bleaching (Recorded by NOAA). The second important problem that arises with warmer water temperatures is the change in migratory patterns and lapsed spawning periods.  Species, no matter how large are simple creatures: if their habitat is warmer than normal, its time to move (most times northward). This unnatural move creates a new array of organisms in a foreign environment, greatly impacting the predatory scale as well as spawning habits.

Light at the end of the tunnel! Although Bill McKibbon’s point of view is very depressing, he does point out an interesting ideology: The world is changing and instead of trying to change it back to the way it has been in the past we as a society need to change with it. I agree with this ideology. I do believe however, that for the world to be “saved” we must create a plan of action. No matter how small, we can make a difference in hopes that our planet will one day be healthy and happy again :)

Underwater Proposal

So Adorable :))))))))))))

I Know What Your Thinking ;)

First of all let me say it is good to be exploring the oceans with you all again! Before we can go into my diving experiences, concerns for the sea, mind blowing factoids and so forth let me get something off my chest. SHARKS! Yes I said it, sharks. Now, I am willing to bet that over 90 percent of you soon to be diving population are hesitant to dive due to this issue. i don’t blame you. Sharks are mean, conniving, ferocious creatures that attack divers at random and eat them without chewing. Seriously? No of course not. Three summers ago I was right there with you. I had heard about the horrors of shark attacks my entire life and I was in no way shape of form going to be added to the National Shark Attack Database. I never thought I would be able to plunge feet first off a boat not knowing what lurked beneath me, however I did it and have sense then logged over 250 successful dives. 

A fellow diver emailed me this video a couple months ago and i thought this would be an appropriate post.

-Thoughts on the video- 

                While I agree this woman is tempting fate to an extreme level, this video brings up some valid points on the common misconception associated with sharks. Countless studies have found that sharks are by nature curious creatures. Their "friendliness" has been misconstrued as aggressive behavior and has coined them as threats. One common fallacy i find highly interesting is the fact that in the past 10 years there have been a reported 19 fatal shark attacks. Out of the millions that are in the ocean everyday this number is extremely diminutive.

            IMPORTANT : Words of Wisdom 

  “Listen puss, it is more likely to be hit by a falling coconut than it is to be attacked by a shark, moral of the story don’t stand under a palm tree or you will die.” – Captain Dan, Key Largo.

  

 “There is a soft spot between the nose and upper jaw line, punch it there and you’ll be fine.”- Macor, Yellow Taxicab employee, Key Largo

Lets Make Some Bubbles

                Throughout my life I have been captivated by water, more specifically the sea. Growing up on Maui I was able to explore the ocean and its fearless inhabitants. As a child I would sit quietly in the wading pools and watch carelessly as the tiny minnows nibbled delicately at my toes. As i continued to mature i began to snorkel, swim, kayak, fish, surf and anything else I could do in the water. It was only when i realized that I was not alone in my quest for underwater exploration, that my journey truly began. 

           

               

               My Blog, Breathe, will illuminate the current issues, struggles, triumphs, and advances taking place throughout the world ocean. It is with this blog that I will explore the possibilities of everything our oceans have to offer while laying out the foundations for a successful diving experience or career. 

              The goal of Breathe, is to channel my speciality in diving into an online database for people interested or concerned about the fate of our oceans. Diving encompasses every emotion I hold true to my heart. It is with diving that I have taken my first steps in becoming the person I hope to someday be. I hope that through this blog I will be able to not only educate on current underwater issues and phenomenon's but also shed light on the joys of such a wonderful hobby. 

                                DIVER DOWN